Going into the 2026-27 season, one thing is for sure for the Boston Bruins and the rest of the NHL: the rosters will look a lot different than what they started. As far as the Black and Gold go, some rather big changes could be on the way between now and the trade deadline later this season.
One of those players who will have his name in trade rumors until the deadline, or until he signs an extension, is Pavel Zacha. He has been in trade rumors going back to the summer of 2025. With each passing day, if he does not sign an extension, it becomes clear that he's either getting moved or will leave in free agency. General manager Don Sweeney can't really afford to let him leave for nothing next summer.
The NHL season is a couple of weeks old, and some players have a lot to prove this season. The Athletic listed one player from every team who has something to prove, and Fluto Shinzawa unsurprisingly picked Zacha for obvious reasons.
Pavel Zacha is tabbed as the Bruins player with the most to prove in 2026-27
"Zacha is an unrestricted free agent after this season. He’s likely to get a significant raise from his current $4.75 million average annual value if he performs well. But will it be with the Bruins?'' wrote Shinzawa.
Again, the longer time goes by without signing an extension with the Bruins, the less likely it is that he re-signs with the Black and Gold. In reality, Sweeney should probably be looking to use him as part of a deal to swing for something big, along with prospects or draft picks, for an impact player on defense for a top-line center.
Right now, trading your top-line center isn't an ideal situation to be in unless you're swinging for a top-line center. The Bruins current center depth is Zacha, Fraser Minten, Elias Lindholm, and Matthew Poitras with Sean Kuraly as the extra forward who has been scratched recently since Poitras returned.
The question the front office needs to answer is whether they have centers in place for the future, with some of the young players, mainly Minten and Poitras. Let's not forget top prospect James Hagens as well.
Early in the season, the returns haven't been great for Zacha, as he didn't score his first goal of the season until last Saturday afternoon against the Philadelphia Flyers. If Boston is going to trade him, he does have something to prove to raise his trade value.
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